The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Lagos State Command, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, has urged residents not to pay any fees when filing complaints at police stations across the state.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos, Hundeyin advised the public to report any incidents of extortion by police officers to the command’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU).
NAN reported that some Lagos residents have continued to raise concerns over illegal demands for money by police officers before complaints are accepted or documented.
Despite the Nigeria Police Force’s public awareness campaign under the slogan “Bail is Free,” many citizens claim officers continue to demand payment in direct violation of that policy.
One resident shared his experience, alleging that two officers extorted ₦7,000 from him after he was arrested in the Meiran area of Lagos following an accusation by his neighbor.
“At the station, I was asked to pay ₦2,000 before being given paper to write my statement,” he said. “Later, the complainant returned and revealed the stolen iPhone had actually been recovered from someone else. Even though I was no longer a suspect, the police demanded ₦10,000 for bail. After negotiating, I ended up paying ₦5,000.”
In another case, an undergraduate reported being stopped during a stop-and-search operation in Oshodi. He said officers took his phone and demanded a receipt.
“I explained that the phone was a second-hand device given to me by my brother and that I had no receipt,” he said. “They took me to the station, threatened to charge me with theft and armed robbery, and demanded ₦10,000 for my release. I told them I only had ₦5,000. After checking my account balance, they escorted me to a POS operator where I withdrew ₦4,000 for them.”
Another resident said he was charged ₦12,000 at a police station when trying to report a burglary case.
“An empty flat in our estate was broken into, and someone had been staying there illegally,” he explained. “When I reported it, officers insisted I pay ₦13,000 before I could write a statement. After some negotiation, I paid ₦12,000.”
PPRO Hundeyin strongly condemned these practices, describing them as corrupt and unacceptable.
He reiterated that members of the public should never pay to file complaints or to secure bail, and urged them to report any such demands to the CRU.
“People should not yield to extortion,” Hundeyin stated. “Instead, they should lodge formal complaints against any officers involved. In one case, someone who was being extorted contacted the CRU, and the issue was resolved without any money being paid.”
He encouraged citizens to utilize the internal channels provided by the police to fight corruption and ensure accountability.
